This invention relates in general to apparatus for tapping a container of fluid, such as a keg of beer, and deals more particularly with an improved keg tapping apparatus of the type which includes a keg unit for attachment to a keg and a tavern unit for releasable coupling to the keg unit to establish tapping connection with the keg. Apparatus of the type with which the present invention is concerned is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,159,102, to Fallon et al for LOCKING MECHANISM FOR COUPLER AND VALVE ASSEMBLY, issued Jan. 26, 1979, and 4,181,143, to Fallon for VALVE ASSEMBLY AND COUPLER THEREFOR, issued Jan. 1, 1980.
Such tapping apparatus includes a keg unit which is received within a tapping opening in a container, such as the neck of a keg, and held in the tapping opening by a retainer which also functions to couple the keg unit to an associated tavern unit. The retainer has a cylindrical bore and integral coupling lugs which project into the bore and cooperate with a coupling part of the tavern unit to releasably connect the tavern unit in coupled relation to the keg unit. These coupling lugs often become bent from repeated coupling of the keg unit to apparatus used to fill, clean or tap the keg and must be straightened when damaged. Such lug damage often occurs in the field, where the most expedient method for straightening the bent lugs is to pound them back into position. Repeated bending and straightening of the lugs ultimately leads to lug failure. When a lug on a full keg fails or is broken in the field it is usually necessary to return the full keg to the distributor, since a proper tapping connection cannot be established between a tavern unit and a keg unit which has one or more broken coupling lugs. This condition is likely to cause serious inconvenience resulting in customer dissatisfaction. The present invention is primarily concerned with this problem.